FOUND & LOST
by VSLDVIVI
Summary: Green Arrow has a mission. But what happens when something unexpected occures? She happens. Is his true identity going to be exposed? Note: For MY BFF Youknowitall
1. COLORFUL WITNESS

He moved swiftly through the dark forest, like the river flows between the riverbanks. He was running like the devil himself was at his back, which he was, as a matter of fact. Cerberus was chasing him.

A couple of hours previously, he had been watching the guards over the tall garden wall of the mansion. He noted their schedule, the paths they were patrolling, where the cameras were installed, and which could be the best way in to the patio were Bertinelli was sitting. He was his target. It was time to put an end to his reign of terror. This man was a criminal, like all the others he was dealing with, but this one was even worse than the rest. He was cruel for no reason, just for the adrenaline rush it provided him. Oliver wanted to give him a warning, one last chance to change and step back, before putting an end to his life. His modulated voice and a faceless threat were usually enough, but something told him this wasn't the last time he'd set foot on this property.

When he thought he had figured out the best way in, he drew his bow and sent an arrow flying through the dark sky, splitting the air until it embedded itself into the wall. He scaled the garden wall and jumped into the yard, satisfied that his plan was going down as expected. As he stepped out of the shadows, he heard one of the guards giving an order.

"Cerberus. Attack."

Oliver thought it was intimidating to name a dog after the three headed guard of the underworld. A tranquilizer on his arrowhead would have been enough if the one who had named the dog had a better sense of humor. But it was a name that perfectly fit what he was staring at. It wasn't exactly a three headed mythological beast; it was three dogs attached together with a single chain. Well trained to move like one.

That was an unexpected development, for which his arrows couldn't provide a useful solution. And he couldn't hurt some innocent creature, even in self-defense. Their owners' actions weren't their fault.

He chose the only given solution.

Run.

He ran like his life depended on it. Which it did. He was running full force when he approached the barrage created by the river. There was a cliff. He had forgotten about it, but it was too late to do anything about it now. His only choice at this point was to jump.

It wasn't exactly a blind leap of faith. When he had passed through earlier, he had noticed that there was a crew building a stage for an upcoming concert or an event of some kind. There were games and other entertainment structures, and a huge air mattress for base jumps.

When he reached the end, he pulled his feet off the ground in a running jump, flying through the air as he fell.

The lights were focused to the stage. The music was loud, too loud. When he landed, the crowd that had already been there for quite some time cheered him. He climbed down from the air mattress he had landed on and froze, instantly worried that he might be exposed, that somebody might identify him.

Every single person in the crowd was dressed in white, from top to bottom. Some of them were wearing protective glasses and some more weird looking and overdressed they wore even gas masks. He definitely stood out like a sore thumb, the only one wearing color. At least his hood wasn't totally out of place in this strangely dressed crowd.

Suddenly, on a signal from the singer, a horn sounded, and everyone started to throw colored powder in the air. The music got louder and the rhythm picked up the pace. The crowd was jumping up and down, waving their hands above their heads.

It must have been one of those color festivals, and it seemed like a lot of fun. If it wasn't for the fact that he was out as the Arrow, he would have stayed. But he couldn't risk being recognized, and there were too many people.

He started walking, blending into the colorful crowd, and bumped into a girl, sending her stumbling forward. His hands shot out, catching her before she fell, steadying her. She turned, and their eyes locked.

Dressed in white and covered in splashes of color, she was indistinguishable from anyone else in the crowd - except maybe for her eyes. He was pretty sure that in daylight, they would be a piercing blue. And they were literally mesmerizing. They both stood there, completely still, as the crowd continued to go crazy around them. Caught in this strange moment, all he could do was hold on to the quirky girl in front of him, until a thin but lovely voice broke through his thoughts.

"You're supposed to wear white. The colors don't look good on green leather," she teased him. "But I can fix this." Reaching into a pouch at her waist, she threw a handful of red powder all over him. "There. Makes a good contrast. Now at least you stand out a bit more," she added, giggling.

"I…I have to go," he stammered, turning away from her and melting into the crowd.

As soon as he got home, he switched on the TV. Turning to the news, he waited to hear even the slightest mention of his "visit" to Bertinelli's Mansion. It didn't take long for the anchor to announce that the police were looking for a man in a green hood, in connection with a burglary that had taken place at the mansion of biggest crime boss in the city.

His blood froze in his veins as he realized that the girl he had encountered at the festival would be able to place him in the area at exactly the time the alleged crime was committed. If she remembered him.

And not only his blood froze, but his limbs went numb and his entire body tensed at the thought of the colored fingerprints he had probably left on the blue-eyed girl's white shirt. Proof of the Arrow's true identity might be right there on her unwashed clothes. How could he have been so careless?


	2. MEMORIES IN VIVD COLORS

In the meantime…

"Thanks for dropping me off." Felicity got out of her friend's car. "I honestly don't know if I'd have made it to the door without you."

"Any time, girl," the tiny brunette replied from the driver's seat, smiling at the sight of her friend hanging over the passenger door, unable to stand upright. "Are you sure you'll be ok?" she asked, a little concerned. "Do you need me to follow you in to your apartment?"

"No need. It's just a few feet, after all. No big deal," Felicity responded, closing the passenger door. "Nighty Night!" She waved her hand behind her head without turning around again. She was already making a bee-line for the building entrance.

"Stay safe and be a good girl. Right, Fel?" her friend shouted from inside the car before starting the engine and driving off into the night.

Smiling for no particular reason, Felicity stumbled up the stairs to her apartment, feeling very light-headed. She'd had a damn good time tonight. When she reached her front door, she struggled to find the keyhole, waving her hands over her head in victory when she finally succeeded in unlocking it. Singing "We are the champions…We are the champions… too too…" she stepped over the threshold. She couldn't even remember the lyrics of the song, just this phrase and the rhythm.

She was so tired. With the last of her energy, she managed to take her shirt off before letting herself fall onto her big, comfortable bed, and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. She would have to deal with a hangover tomorrow, but that was the least of her concerns right now.

Sure enough, she woke up the next morning with a terrible headache. Her ears were still buzzing, and she had trouble lifting her head from the pillow and facing the light filling the room. Her pillow felt damp; she must have been drooling while she was out cold. She just wasn't able to party like others her age. She wasn't used to it, and always had to face the consequences the day after. Dragging herself out of bed and to the bathroom, she stopped at the sink to splash some water on her face. Wow, that's a pathetic sight to face first thing in the morning, she thought while looking at her reflection.

Her hair was a colorful mess, as was her face, smeared as it was. Colors were covering every single inch of her body, even in places that hadn't been exposed last night. How her underwear had ended up rainbow-colored was probably a mystery she would never solve. She dropped every stitch of clothing into the laundry basket and stepped into the shower.

The water relaxed her and smoothly rinsed all the colors off her body. Sleepily, she watched a trail of rainbow water flowing toward the drain. A swirl of green circled the drain and disappeared, jogging her memory. Had she really met that mysterious guy last night, or had it all been a dream? He was certainly dreamy, but was he real?

Getting out of the shower, she dried her hair and wrapped herself in a towel, heading back to her room for some fresh clothes. She almost stepped on the shirt she had dropped on the floor the night before. She dug to grab it while squeezing her towel around her. The moment she held the white shirt, ok not white, not any more, something caught her attention and she bent to pick it up, looking at it closely. What was that pattern? Was it a hand print? She searched her mind. Someone would have had to grab her to leave a full hand print like that. Then it hit her. The guy in green. Hulk. That's how she had described him last night to her friend.

"… and I almost fell. Someone behind me grabbed me. He had such strong hands. And when I turned… he was like the Hulk. Incredibly buff...and green. You get it? Yeah, I know everyone was a mess, but this guy was actually all dressed in green."

But who was he? She hadn't even thanked him. Now, the only reminder of him was the hand print on her shirt. Unless…Her eyes lit up. The print on her shirt was very clear and detailed. Three fingerprints were detectable the rest not so much but what kind of a hacker was she if she couldn't trace him?

Dressing quickly, she headed for her computers and scanned the portion of her blouse with the print on it, running the image through the SCPD's fingerprint recognition system.

She walked to the kitchen to make herself the coffee she so desperately needed. When the notification sound beeped, she almost ran to her computer.

"What the hell…? Oliver Queen? The business man? What was he doing there? And no one noticed him?"

It was too complicated to think about without some caffeine running through her veins. She switched on the TV and settled in to watch the news, taking a ship from her mug. She almost spilled her coffee when she heard the announcement that the police was searching for a man who had burgled a mansion. They gave no description of him, stating only that he was wearing a hood.

It had to be a coincidence. What reason would a guy like him have to steal? He owned an even bigger mansion.

The whole thing was intriguingly suspicious, and Felicity was curious. Too curious too let it go. Mysteries, as far as she was concerned, had to be solved. On the other hand...if he was a criminal, he could silence her. Or at the very least, sue her.

Eventually, she came up with a solution. She may or may not have hacked his computer to send him an instant message.

The next morning, while Oliver was working in his office at Queen Consolidated, an instant message popped up on his screen:

"What's your favorite color?"


	3. BLACKMAIL OR FAIL?

The next morning, while Oliver was working in his office at Queen Consolidated, a message popped up on his screen:

"What is your favorite color?"

He frowned. What was this? He was confused, but decided to play along.

"Green," he typed, pressing enter.

Felicity smiled. It was confirmed, he was the guy in the green hood from yesterday.

A second message appeared.

"And yours?"

"Red," she replied without thinking.

"Makes a good contrast," he responded after a while. The exact words she had spoken to him. Yesterday wasn't a dream after all.

"I'll toss a little yellow on to you next time. You'll look like traffic lights" she joked.

Oliver froze at the last message. He was speaking with the blue eyed girl from the night before. And she had made the first move. How had she managed to track him down? Was she going to blackmail him? Or even worse, expose him?

He started typing again. "So it was you."

The response came immediately. "Yeah, it was me. I'm still me," followed by a laughing emoji.

"Are you kidding me?" he said out loud.

This situation was getting out of hand. This girl with crazy skills - if the ease with which she had found him was any indication - was fast becoming a serious inconvenience. He was so stressed about his future and right now it wasn't look as bright as just couple of days before. Everything had taken a wrong turn and depending on that unknown girl. That girl that he had literally any clue about except her annoying habit of getting involved in other people's businesses, his business and seemed to be enjoying their encounter a little too much. He didn't have time to deal with a kid fooling around, but he couldn't afford to ignore her. She could cause a hell of a mess if left unchecked.

It might be time to have the Arrow put the fear into her.

"We need to talk," he typed.

Felicity read the message he had just sent her, the smile on her face fading, replaced by worry. She sat back. Sure, she was intrigued by this whole thing, but at the end of the day, she didn't know anything about this guy or his alleged criminal activities. She had no idea how far he might be willing to go to silence her.

"I don't know about this," Was the only thing she could think right there and then. She had gotten carried away, and really hadn't thought any of this through before contacting him. She might be in way over her head.

"Your pick," he finally messaged him.

"What?" came her immediate reply.

"Place and time," he added by way of explanation.

"..." she had to gain some time to think and these three dots were the only she typed.

"The river barrier? You know what I'm talking about."

Ha! I don't think so, buddy. "Yeah…No. Somewhere public. Very public."

Oliver rolled his eyes. "You watch too many movies, smarty pants," he typed. "I'm not planning on killing you!" A satisfied smirk curved his lips. He had intimidated her. That was a good. Maybe she'd think twice before getting involved any further.

He obviously had the upper hand for now.

Felicity felt her muscles starting to relax, when another message appeared on her screen.

"Not without a good reason at least."

She tensed up again, immediately. This had gotten ugly fast. The man that had been almost gentlemanly yesterday, sounded almost threatening now.

"We'll meet at the uni library. You won't be able to raise your voice there. Deal?"

Oh that little shit, he thought, almost laughing out loud. At least she was smart. Smart people new how to avoid problems. They could be reasoned with. That was a good development.

He started typing again. "Ok, smart-ass. We have a deal. Be there in a two hours."

Felicity fell back onto her black leather couch, holding her head between her hands, trying to come to grips with the trouble she had gotten herself into this time. Maybe contacting him hadn't been such a good move. But she didn't have any time to waste on regrets. What was done, was done. Now, the only thing she could do was make sure she had a safe exit plan.

Exactly one hour and forty minutes later, she was at the library, sitting in one of the front row reading desks. She had a huge law book in front of her, but wasn't actually reading it, just flipping through the pages nervously. She had no interest in the contents of the book; she had picked it because it was very heavy, and might come in useful as a self-defense weapon if things got messy.

She became increasingly nervous as time passed, and Oliver Queen didn't show up. She jiggled her leg nervously, shifting repeatedly in her seat, tensing when she suddenly felt someone approaching her from behind. She almost jumped out of her skin when she felt a gentle touch on her shoulder. She turned to face the employee who had been sitting at the registration desk.

"Sorry, was I making noise? I'll stop, I swear," she explained apologetically.

"I'm sorry, Miss, but the library is going to close for the day," the very polite employee informed her. "I'm afraid I have to ask you to leave."

Felicity looked around. She had been so lost wondering why an instantly recognizable socialite such as Oliver Queen had agreed to meet her there in the first place, that she hadn't noticed that the library had emptied out.

"Yes, yes of course," she replied equally politely. "I'm sorry, I'm leaving right now."

Picking up her things, she left the building, letting the door close behind her. She stopped at the top of the huge marble staircase to let the cool air hit her reddened cheeks and relax her wrinkled from the anxiety forehead. Once she had composed herself, she started heading home.

What she couldn't even imagine was that Oliver Queen actually came there but he was just not revealed himself to her.


	4. COME OUT, COME OUT, WHEREVER YOU ARE

Unbeknownst to Felicity, Oliver Queen was sitting on a red motorcycle across the street. Unlike her, he had actually formulated a plan of action. A patient man, he had decided not to confront her immediately. He had parked his bike on the corner and had been waiting for her to give up waiting for him and go home.

He knew immediately that it was her. Even though she'd been covered in color when he last saw her, he'd recognized her long blond hair, currently hanging loosely over shoulders, anywhere.

Keeping a safe distance, he followed her back to what he assumed was her apartment. He stopped his bike on the opposite side of the street, and walked to the door she had just vanished into moments before. Looking up at the building, he waited, noting when the lights went on in one of the third floor apartments. The name on the doorbell tag for that particular apartment was F. Smoak.

Now the mystery girl had a name.

He returned back to his Ducati Monster 1200 and rushed back to his place, needing to be in his private environment to think clearly.

He spent a sleepless night debating his next course of action. He decided that his best move was to sneak into her apartment while she was out, to find out what she knew, and retrieve any evidence she might have that could prove he was in the area of the Bertinelli mansion two nights ago.

Felicity wasn't able to sleep either. What had happened today? Had she misinterpreted his messages? Had he shown? Had she missed him? If not, why had he scheduled this appointment only to never show up? Had something happened to him? She knew she was probably overthinking this, but something deep down in her belly told her she wasn't.

The next morning, right after Felicity had left for what he assumed was work, Oliver made a preliminary pass through her place, figuring it would be safer to return after dark, as the Arrow, for a more thorough search.

Which is exactly what he did.

He was back there again for the third time in the past 24 hours, having watched her leaving her apartment before taking the opportunity to sneak in. Picking the lock, he stepped into her very girly living room, moving silently through the small apartment and into the bedroom located on the right. The decor in her bedroom was nothing like the living room, as if a completely different person lived behind those closed doors.

The vibes were more heavy and serious, and judging from the size of the desk and the extent of the computer hardware on it, it was safe to assume that she was spent a lot of her time there. Maybe that's where he would find what he was looking for.

After only a few minutes in her private space, he heard a key turning in the lock, and the apartment door opened. Since there was no way out except for the window on the other side of the room, which he didn't want to risk without scoping it out first, he decided to stay there to confront her. He straightened himself to his fullest height and waited for her to enter the room.

When she stepped in the room and saw him, she froze, speaking her mind before she could stop herself. "So. You crawled out of your hole."

"Don't push it." His modulated voice echoed off the walls, dark and deep.

If that was what he was counting on, it worked. She was scared. So, she used the only defense she could think of using right now. She started to speak.

"I didn't mean...I meant that you didn't appear at the library yesterday. The meeting was yesterday, right? Wasn't it?" She waited for him to say something, but he didn't so she continued. "You're kind of scaring me with that grumpy, mysterious thing you have going on there. I can assure you I won't tell anyone anything."

He just stood there, preternaturally still. "What do you want?"

"You want to know my intentions?" She slammed her eyes shut at her own words, wiping away a drop of sweat on her forehead. Why did she always find exactly the wrong way to say things? He didn't seem like the kind of guy who would find her slips of the tongue funny.

Oliver was in no mood for humor, at least not until he figured out if she was a threat to him.

"The worst thing about humor is that usually targeted the person that had no intension to giggle." He answered and then he just pinned her with an icy stare until she started fidgeting uncomfortably.

"Sorry," she said as innocently as she could manage. "I babble when I'm nervous. Seriously though..." She extended her hand. "Hi, I'm Felicity."

Taken by surprise, he blinked. This was an unexpected development. He was standing there as the Arrow, an accused criminal who had invaded her private space and who was a potential threat to her, and she was introducing herself. This girl must be fierce, or completely out of her mind, he thought to himself.

He took her small hand in his, and shoot it. "Arrow."

"No, not your stage name," she blurted out. 'Oh crap, I have to shut up,' she though after the words tumbled out.

He didn't react. "Just don't mess with my business," he threatened.

"Queen Industries, or the criminal one?" The words flew out before she could think about what they could mean for her. Yes, she knew it had to be Oliver Queen, but did he know that she knew?

He took a step toward her. "How are you even sure I am Oliver Queen?"

"I hacked your account," she casually confessed, taking a corresponding step back.

"Oh, really?" His lips curved up a little, in what she thought might have been a teasing smile, except it was difficult to tell given that his hood kept most of his face hidden in shadows.

She was flustered. "I mean…uh..." Had she just confessed to a crime herself?

He took another step closer, hoping to disorient her. "How did you come to that conclusion? I mean, you saw me out there. Those weren't exactly the moves of a fancy playboy." He already knew that he wouldn't be able to change her mind about his identity, but he had nothing to lose by trying.

"Come on, Mr. Queen, I wasn't born yesterday. I have your palm print colorful like the Lascaux cave drawings on my shirt. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to run a recognition program and connect the dots."

"But I'm wearing gloves, in case you hadn't noticed."

"Yes that archery gloves. You are probably the one who haven't noticed that they are partially cover only some of your fingers."

"Unfortunately for you they aren't." Oliver was done with the verbal sparring. "Give me the shirt, Felicity," he ordered her, making his voice as threatening ask he could as he closed the space between them.

She went pale, and she backed away from him, shaking her head, until she hit the wall behind her. The closer he got, the more she had to look up to keep her eyes on his.

"Then you leave me no choice." He loomed menacingly over her, invading her personal space, and before she even had a chance to react, he had grabbed her, spun her around, and with an arm banded around her rib cage, trapped her against his chest and pressed a wadded up cloth over her mouth and nose.

Felicity struggled harder than she ever had in her life, and never had her struggles been so fruitless. She tried to move her head, but it was trapped between his rock-solid shoulder, and the hand covering her mouth. She was no match for his incredible strength, but she continued to fight him. She would have screamed, but to do that, she would have to inhale, and she was pretty sure she knew what was on the cloth he held pressed to her face.

He removed the cloth of her face just for a moment to check in what condition she was, when her pointless efforts of escaping from him started to faint a little.

"Oh man you have to change your cologne, it's sooo heavy." Even in that state of mind she continued to make fun of him.

"It's chloroform, to be accurate." he whispered from behind her, confirming her suspicions.

"Shhh... Relax… Just breathe in… I'm holding you. I won't let you fall."


	5. BREATHTAKING ENCOUNTER

When he felt her entire body giving in to the intoxicated smell she had just breathed, he stepped right behind her and caught her. In an instant moment he placed himself behind her, offering his buffed torso as a fleshy support board to collapse on.

Her knees bend, not able to support her body anymore. He embraced her form the waist and her head tilted backwards and came to a rest on his shoulder right beside his neck. Her perfume filled his nostrils. Her scent intoxicated his brain and numbed his mind in the exact same way the chloroform had affected her. Something was different, there was something special about this girl that made him lose his touch. The thought of just revealing himself to her, not just his identity but even his whole crusade, crossed his mind for a split second, he could use someone as smart as her. But he trashed the thought in the exact same moment it crossed his mind. It wouldn't be fair to bring an innocent girl like Felicity into his dark world.

He shook off his head in an attempt to get rid of that numbing feeling. He lowered his body to lay her tiny body onto the floor. He sat there still besides her, trying to decide what to do but his mind couldn't function at all, the only possible next move was to postpone this decision. To gain some time until he would find time and clarity to bounce and balance the odds and conclude to the best possible outcome.

About a minute past with him above her, looking without basically watching her, when he finally managed to recollect himself and placed his hands behind her back and knees. He lifted her up and swung her above his shoulder.

She was tiny, especially considering his volume so she felt light as feather to him and it was easy to carry her, but exiting the front door and walking careless through the city pavements wasn't a smart idea, so he started stepping up the staircase.

He kicked the roof door open, stabilizing her, wrapping his right arm over her thighs avoiding any inconvenient touch. He walked over the rooftops, passing through the city lights, until he found a dark alley. Instead of climbing down the emergency staircase, he shot an arrow and swung them down into the shadows of a red brick wall building. Getting lost in the shadows.

He was walking in a dark alley close to where he had parked earlier, letting the shadows of the intervals between the street lights work as an efficient invisibility cloak that would protect them of being revealed to the indiscreet eyes of others.

He was concerned of any sound, any movement during their path that would possibly indicate a human presence or even an animal. Some dogs tend to bark when they feel someone is hurt or in danger and the smell of the chloroform wouldn't serve any positive outcome either, if they alarm an entire neighborhood in the middle of the night.

He was carrying her on his shoulder when he felt her moving a little. Was it possible for her to regain her consciousness so soon? Wasn't the doze that had imbued the cloth with chloroform enough? His mind started wandering in so many directions, when something even more perturbing disturbed his warns.

He felt her breathe unsteady. Her breathing pattern was more like a pace than normal, rushed, brief, and jerk. He got worried, frightened even. Guilt was threatening to consume him entirely.

He had never had the intention to harm this girl in any way. Yes the fact which lead him to that day, to her apartment was serious. He couldn't risk anyone knowing about his identity, and that he is the real Arrow even more it wasn't a possible choice for him to let someone expose these facts.

But on the other hand Felicity, she was innocent. What was he even doing here? Why the hell did he go through all this trouble? He could have just had let it slide, not texting her back in the first place, but he had, and now he had to admit that the fact of how she had behaved around him on the first time they met, she had fascinated him.

Somehow he had that unexplained feeling that he should trust her. If any stranger possibly knew about him he had made peace with the thought that this person could be her. And his concern returned when he felt her body twisting struggling to catch her breath.

He kneeled and laid her on a bench only feet away from the van. He checked her, she wasn't breathing well, her body temperature must have been raised, and her heart pulse was high. Something was obviously wrong. And his mind returned at the chlorophorm that he forced her to inhale earlier that night.

He picked her up again. Spotting his parked bike he gave himself a moment that would allow him to think. Now what? How could he drive her to the hospital in her condition? He regained his composure, he hadn't time for hesitations. He lifted his leg and ride the leather seat. It was an accomplishment with her still on his arms. He steadied himself and then he lowered in front of him, between his legs. The gas tank was a helpful resisting point to support her a little and he tried to lead her weight to his course placing her head by his shoulder. He used his free hand to find his arrow on his back and he tore apart the string. He pass it behind her waist and tied her on his body. He even wore to her his helmet. And he got off into the night.

Only a few minutes later he stopped the car in front of the emergency's entrance. Thankfully the double glass door opened automatically by his presence, triggered from the movement detector. That wouldn't really be an obstacle. He would have kicked it down if it hadn't opened as soon as it did. He stormed into the corridor still dressed in his green leather suit, panting himself and carrying Felicity who was still struggling breathing.

"HELP!... SOMEBODY!... HELP!"


	6. 911 EMERGENCY

"HELP!... SOMEBODY!... HELP!"

He shouted in his rough modulated voice, and even the few people that hadn't caught this unexpected sight, now they were fully aware of his presence. Felicity's tiny body hung almost lifeless in his arms, her blonde hair hung loosely down over his arm and waved in sync with every movement from his site. The dark red blouse she wore so perfectly was now ripped on one side due to the moment he done when he untied his arrow string from around her waist, now he remembered the small noise of something getting torn, but then in that moment, it hadn't mattered. The exposed skin was reddened but it didn't bleed. It must have also happened when the blouse got ripped. The guilt he already felt anyway got heavier on his shoulders, there seemed to be a fight within him he only now noticed was getting to him more than he would have liked.

The tall nurse standing behind the reception desk pushed an alarm button and some medics accompanied by a doctor came running down the hallway in their direction. One of the medics dragged a stretcher and came to a halt in front of him, Oliver laid Felicity down gently, the team of medics run down a hall that must lead them to the examine rooms. Oliver run with them as an elderly doctor asked him a few questions.

"It must be the chlorophorm." It was the only thing he could say without telling them too much. The Doctor didn't insist any further. Just said "You have to stay here." Oliver stopped and let them do their work, even if he wanted to go with them, he knew he'd just be in the way.

He felt a gentle touch on his arm that pulled him out of his thoughts, turning his head he was now facing the nurse from the reception desk. She was tall, but not taller than him. His hood still covering his face in a shadow he locked eyes with her.

"She will be fine. Don't worry. You saved her. You're a hero."

"…I …I" he tried to explain that he didn't find her in that condition or prevent some criminal of abducted her, but the polite curly brunette continued without giving him a chance to speak. He let out a long breath to gather his strength but before speaking up again but she beat him to it.

"They will be in there for a while, you better go. That kind of incidents we have to inform the police and I have the tiny feeling you don't want to be here when they arrive." She made a small pause to breath but then continued. «But don't worry. Come back in a couple of hours when I have my midnight break. Meet me in the ambulance parking, it's in the basement and I'll let you know of her condition." As fast as she had said that she had rushed to another incoming emergency, what left him standing in the middle of the hall alone?

It was almost midnight. The parking lot at the basement level of the hospital seemed derelict. Not a single soul present to disturb the eerie silence prevailed there. Huge square cantilevers supported the building were forming groin volts at the ceiling. Fluorescent lights were placed at strategically chosen places to provide adequate amount of light. But the ambulances have their own lights and there is not exactly immediate need for maintenance in ancillary facilities like this one in a power devouring building like a hospital, so some of the lights were flickering and others doesn't function at all. The place had shadows covering not only the corners and also flew round the floor every time a light flickers. It was the perfect environment for a secret meeting providing an invisibility cloth for a suspicious figure as a vigilante, the nurse maybe have thought about it or maybe not.

And that was exactly what happened. Oliver was sneaking covered in the shadows till the moment he noticed her walking to the staff only entrance and lighting a cigarette. He stepped out of his dark corner and walked towards her slowly trying not to intimidate the person who had already helped him deal with this awkward and inconvenient situation.

"You returned?" She said almost surprised before she carried on. "I wasn't sure if you would appear after all, you should care about this girl to be willing to risk It." she added with an almost nostalgic vibe in her voice.

"She is kind of my responsibility." He respond trying not to expose any feeling in his voice.

"Yeah, yeah I get it. You save a life and you feel a protective bond to that person. I can relate to that. Don't worry she is ok." She reassured him and continued providing a more detailed debrief for her condition. "She had regained consciousness moments after you bring her, and the doctors evaluate her condition not critical after they prescript her some cortisoned adjuvants. It was a simple allergic reaction after all, nothing unusual."

He was reluctant at the moment but he finally asked "Could I visit her please?"

"I'm sorry but…"

"You have already helped me beyond any expectation and I'm grateful for that, don't get me wrong I don't want to exploit your kindness and jeopardize your job, but honestly it is something I have to tell her." He interrupted her.

"No, no that is not the case here. I'd love to accompany you to her room but I literally couldn't even if I wish. She had signed the forms and checked herself out, before even the police had the time to get her statement about what happened to her. She is not here anymore." She said almost apologetically to him.

Her eyes drifted downwards to the direction of her hand holding her cigarette that was almost burned and becoming ashes till the filter. She excused herself explain that her break was about to end and she turned to walk away.

Oliver grabbed her forearm by impulse preventing her. She turned to face him looking at his hold. He automatically loosen his grip when he followed her eyes pointing his hand on hers.

"I'm sorry, I've just wanted to…" he said. He looked at her nurse robe and spotted her name tag. "Thank you Charlotte, you are an angel."

The concern on her eyes was replaced by something lighter. The wrinkles formed in her forehead indicated her surprise by his unexpected gesture were erased and their place took over a few little beside her eyes, shown there cause of her beautiful effortless smile.

"Don't even mentioned it. Take care out there." She answered him putting her hand on his shoulder and nodding her head pointing outside of the parking entrance far away into the dark night that covers unexpected dangers, bad intentions and criminal acts.


	7. CRUSHING GUILTS

He rode his bike and he drove away. He was passing by the roadside flora. Tall aspens and other deciduous trees were taking turns one after the other. The city lights were illuminating them and the mesmerizing colors of their leaves, totally distinguishable into the dark night, was such a distracting image as well as the rest of them that mounded in piles at the pavement and the road barriers.

He was accelerating rapidly and his driving was getting more intense and aggressive in every passing moment. He was so upset, he was feeling so pissed off and that was obviously reflecting in his reactions.

He had that undetermined feeling from the moment he heard the news about Felicity. The girl that so unexpectedly entered into his life and turned it upside down. It would be…, no it was a mission like any other, nothing special. Yes it was a fact that, the unexpected factor always bides in the corner, but he had already dealt with Cerberus. He wasn't expecting any more surprises that night.

And then, the moment he blended into the crowd, was the exact same moment he stepped over her. This colorful mess that was destined to change his life. The only person figured out his adrenaline rushed and life threatening habit and his true identity.

To be honest living that double life for so long, have been his way of life these days. Dealing with criminals all the time, forcing him to make life or death decisions most of them, has blurred, if not erased some ethical boundaries.

The aftermath of that, he experienced and witnessed when he caught himself willing to abduct her to gain a little time to think. And he was feeling guilts ever since. Guilts that were devouring his soul, his entire existence and make him doubt for any decision he was making.

And then after this inner struggle that was consuming his mind like an ouroboros she made this thoughtless choice, singed by herself and checked out of the hospital.

As if he hasn't enough on his mind, now he had to worry about her too. It was her choice, but everything else were his fault after all. She was at the wrong place at the wrong time. That's the only thing he could count against her. And her limitless curiosity maybe, and the fact that she made contact with him, and her attempt to… And these thoughts were piling into his mind, and were making him angry, in addition to his, now he had to deal with her mess too.

He felt frustrated, he felt like he couldn't handle the current situation that was getting more and more complicated. He got himself into a labyrinth and he wasn't positive he would escape from it. He started to feel captive, even claustrophobic. He was losing it. He was giving in this feeling of the unknown, his fear of the upcoming failure. He had trouble breathing, his chest felt tight, his mind was spinning, sweat was streaming down his forehead to his eyes causing his sight problematic and he couldn't even sweep it while wearing his helmet. This feeling of losing control was spreading like a virus that infecting his body too.

The fallen leaves on the road had formed a beautiful and at the same time dangerous blanket. The surface had become slippery. He felt the front tire loosing traction. The steering wheel kicked underneath his hand. He was lost wandering into his own mind till then. This movement brought him, grabbed him by the face and dragged him back to reality. He tightened his grip, his knuckles were probably turning white beneath his leather archery gloves. He tried to stabilize his bike but the next kick of the steering wheel was stronger. The index that pointed the speed was already touched the red indication. One slight attempted adjustment was enough to bring upon loss of his balance.

The front wheel gave in finally to the inclining forces that were pulling it sideways. The whole bike leaned and fell to the side. His left leg had cooped up underneath his beautiful heavy bike. He was still holding the clutches, it was safer that way, than sliding by himself or dragged by his own bike. He was sliding. His leg felt burning by the friction.

He stopped when the bike hit the pavement. He released his grip. He tried to crawl underneath the bike but nothing. All this weight forced over his body was immobilizing. He gave in for a moment. Leaned on his back, letting his muscle to relax and giving time to his mind to recollect its thoughts. He bent his knee up, placing it almost in front of his chest. Then he stepped his foot on the gas tank and pushed with all force. He felt the blood start flowing again into his veins. He felt his limp numb. He put his elbows on the ground and support body and crawled a little further. He sit and then stand up carefully when he regained the control of his leg's motion.

He faced his preciously beautiful bike. All smashed up in a formless mass of iron and rubber. The steering wheel was the only thing unharmed. The gas tank was scared all over and leaking liquid. The wheels were torn, same with the leather seat. Every single part of the bike was curved or bent in a way. He spotted one of the two mirrors a few steps away, at the exact point of the initial impact to the ground. He walked back there. The mirror was broken and spread into pieces as well. What he was thinking? Why he even bothered to even walk to reach it. He lost his temper. What's next? He wondered himself, what else? He shout out loud and kicked the broken mirror with every remaining of his strength. He watched the mirror jumping from point to point like a paddle above a lake's surface and hit the bike. That smacking sound of metal hitting another metal was pain in his ear. The last time the mirror touched the ground it created a sparkle. A sparkle light the gas had flown over now from the tank. He stood there watching the fire consuming the remains of what he used to call bike. He stood there motionless, emotionless when he burst into laughs at last.

What's next? ... What else? His voice echoed in his head. Someone or something up there took it as a challenge.


	8. CRUSHED AND ALONE

What's next? ... What else? His voice echoed in his head. Someone or something up there took it as a challenge.

…

Whoever had accepted the challenge was not just a worthy opponent he was a cruel prankster he had won not only the round but the entire game.

One final surprise was already orchestrated and delivered to him. His name was Quinn and there was no better way to finish your night than a royal crush. His bike rest in peace and he barely made it safe and sound with only small cuts and bruises, right? Wrong. He felt a little dizzy, disoriented, and fatigued, almost like he was suffering a severe blood loss, but he hadn't noticed being hurt. He was definitely not feeling that way, but considering the adrenaline rush he wouldn't any way. He checked himself and spotted a deep cut low on his back near his waist line. He noticed a crooked arrow among the others. Obviously his fall caused it to penetrate his quiver and injured him.

He ripped a piece of cloth from his sleeve and made a knot, tied it above the wound in a way not only covering it but putting pressure too. That had the expected result and stopped the bleeding.

All this mess, in the middle of the night, in the middle of nowhere and without any mean of transportation. He pictured himself a wounded pedestrian arrow and felt helpless. He get so angry. Why the hell had she to intrude into his life and leave him in such a pathetic condition? Why? Because of her of course.

He made a decision to face her. He had to head straight for her apartment but who was he kidding? He couldn't just walk there. He was angry. The blood in his veins was boiling and he gave in to something he had promised himself he wouldn't do again, whatever was the case, but this time the circumstances were demanding extreme measures, ha was demanding a closure. He casually walked some blocks down the road when he reached a dark alley The only lights on the street were the blue electric neon lights of the bar sign. It was one of this bars with lowlifes customers.

He walked through, as if it was a normal thing for a vigilante to take a walk in the night. Loud voices combined with laughter were coming from inside the bar. It sounded like they were having a great time inside. And he was going to ruin someone's night. He inspected the entire place. No one was out, no one was passing by, and it was that kind of suspicious areas that average people avoid when it's dark. And that worked perfectly for him. He saw the vehicles that were parked outside the bar. Cheap cars with no real horse power and some bikes. One was standing out of the rest. It was a custom ordered imported European bike, a Bimota DB7. He caught himself wondering about what a person that had the money and the taste to own this monster was doing there, but the resemblance to his baby reminded him that it was gone and all thanks to her. He approached it like a hunter circles his prey. His bratva past had qualified him with some handful skills so it wasn't moments after that he was riding away with the alarm still beeping.

A sound that forced the unfortunate previous owner to stepped out of the bar. And his previous assumption was totally right. The guy was standing underneath the doorframe, was looking at him like he was sensing how high the possibility to face a dark future without his bike was. Oh, that look. He was able to recognize the pain in that look, he had that look just moments before. A look of betrayal that someone else intrudes in your perfectly complete life and deprives one piece of the concept, a missing piece that ruin forever the puzzle of your happiness. And it was a bizarre sight facing a huge muscular guy, almost the stereotype of a biker covered with tattoos to seem almost hurt. Hurt that turned into anger, because when he overcame his initial surprise he evaluated the situation. He was looking at a guy that was a potential threat for his property. And he had to admit that the entire sight of an unknown hoodie guy so close to his precious guy shouted trouble even from miles. But the distance between them weren't miles ahead. He was close enough to provide him the opportunity to fight back. And that was exactly the case.

The first step was like a preview of an uneven fight. Oliver was already injured and he may be Arrow and trained to function beyond pain, but his body sometimes manage to overturn his will. He ran down the three steps in front of the entrance with such a force that Oliver could swear his leather boots would have been leaving imprint at the stones. He covered the small distance that was keeping them apart and still exploiting the built momentum he blew him a full force right cross like it was linear progression of his previous movement. All this kinetical energy instantly was transited into potential that set the ground of who's going to prevail on whom. He felt his wound bleeding even more than before and he regret his former impulse, doubting he was going to make it out of this situation in one piece. The guy grabbed him from the collar and drugged him into the middle of the road ripping even more his already torn green leather suit. One, two more hits that targeting his face but at least this time Oliver reacted quick enough to place his hands to shield himself.

And then he suffered the final hit. When an uppercut made contact with his chin it send his head back, he felt his neck stretching like never before, almost too much to maintain his balance.

He was stumbling backwards from the last hit when he heard a vehicle approaching. He didn't bother to try avoiding it, he was hit by the taxi's fender low at his feet and crushed onto the hood. The vehicle came in halt at the same moment before the driver had the chance to get out to check him, he slide side wards and stormed in the back seat yelling to

"Go…Go…!"


	9. YELLOW CAB STAKE OUT

"Go... Go...!"

... ... ...

He had blown some steam off with this fight, he had felt everything among the spectrum of feelings and he had ended up hollow and tired. Frustration wasn't a strong enough word to describe his current condition. He was ripped off from any stitch, clothe of dignity, he had just watched his pride, his baby becoming ashes and he had stood there unable to intervene and in addition to his loss, he was beaten his remaining dignity off. He had been left with nothing. He seemed defeated.

The taxi driver still had to check if he was ok? He looked still shaking from their previous impact, at the back seat through the mirror. He returned his gaze and his attention in front to the road. At that moment his pupils got dilated and his eyes widened and turned fast to look backwards for the second time when he realized who he was facing.

"I…I… I hadn't done anything wrong sir. I didn't see you fast enough, I hadn't time to react. It was an accident" He stuttered with horror painted over his face.

"You what?" Oliver was pulled back to reality and realized that besides he was the victim of a car crash he was still dressed in his arrow suit, even if it was torn and covered in blood.

"I'm not here for you." he reassured the driver who regained his natural face color instantly and continued "I need a ride."

"At the hospital?" the man asked with genuine concern.

"No, there is no time for hospital, I just need a ride…" he said in his gravely modulated voice.

"Of course."

"And some discretion, please."

"Sure… sure." The man responded almost in amusement.

"So where we are going?"

"Keep driving and I'll giving you the directions along the way."

"Are we chasing a bad guy?" the man asked with obvious excitement.

"Not something fancy like that." Oliver trying to disillusion him a little bit and continued giving him directions for her apartment.

"Here pull over." He said briefly.

He waited there for a while and his look randomly wandering around. He noticed his taxi owner and driver license laminated and framed proudly in front of the passenger seat John Diggle. He seemed a pleasant guy. An average, hardworking family man. But his body was as far as it gets from average built. He seemed either well trained athlete but when he would have the time if he was so many commitments, work and family, or a former soldier or something. Then he looked at his direction. He seemed liked he was sitting over charcoals.

The moment their gazes were met. The man couldn't resist ant start talking.

"Wow I mean Wow man. You are this arrow guy. You are awesome. I watch you in the news and they are accusing you of something and dragging you into mud sometimes but I'm in your side. You see…" he said and pointed to the family picture that was attached or glued somehow underneath his taxi license "…I have a family now. And I feel safe knowing you are somewhere out there patrolling the streets of our city and bringing justice where the hand of law isn't able to reach. My little one is a huge fan of you. I literally counting time the time to return home and tell him that I got you a ride. He will be… Can I tell him?" he asked with eyes anticipated in fear of a negative answer.

"Yes, why not…?" Oliver tell him and that answered lightened this man's look.

Oliver was still waiting. The blood loss has finished but the pain of the wound was distracting. The only thing that keeping him from dozing off was his anger. And then it happened

"Wait a moment…" Oliver noticed some movement outside the building.

… … …

Felicity was sitting on a bench of that small park near the river. The night had arrived unnoticed, painting the sky darker and exploiting the absence of the sunlight to drop the temperature down, bringing it a couple of degrees below freezing. Maybe the riverside view wasn't a wise choice after all. But to be honest to herself what other choice did she have?

She was at the exact same situation as a couple of hours earlier that day. She regretted returning home that morning when the sun was still up and brighten her life a little. He was there in the apartment. Stepping out of the shadows he threatened her and one word lead to the other and to the chloroformed napkin and then the darkness consumed her. That was the last moment of clarity. Then just blurry images incoherent with each other and with any of her previous experiences.

She remembered herself giving in to that numbing feeling and collapsing. Her mind intoxicated till the point of no return incapable of any function. She wasn't able to separate what happened in her mind and what was an outcome of her imagination. She remembers or dreamed the pressure of his shoulder on her stomach while carrying her with her head upside down. Struggling herself to take a breath at some point and then those blinding lights of the huge glass entrance of the hospital. Voices, tangled with his, that she didn't recognize at the moment and still haven't till this time, except the warm feminine voice reassuring her that everything will be ok.

She would bet her recently recovered clarity that it was the nurse from the front desk. When she walked to check herself out of the hospital before the police would have returned to question her, before he would have returned. He was the one send her at the hospital. And it was so confusing because the nurse seemed relieved when she saw her at the desk and actually mentioned it that it was thoughtful of her to protect him and leave before the police wound return to take her statement. It was like she considered him as a hero and the only reason for that was confirming his presence there. So was he the one who transferred her at the hospital weren't the paramedics who really saved her? She couldn't make her mind about it and with these doubts about his intensions she wasn't feeling safe enough to return at her apartment.


	10. THE STUDENT HAS BECOME THE MASTER

She was still sitting in that bench. She gathered herself and squeeze her mind to come up with a plan. This time she has no margin for error, she has to be prepared. She regained her composure. Her current state was known. She has to be resourceful. She hadn't a lot of means. She has no personal belongings returned besides her clothes and how could she? She was rushed at the hospital from her apartment. No cell phone no wallet no keys. She leaned backwards pulling her hands behind her neck and stretching her body a little. She heard some coins jangling in her pocket. She shove her hand and took them. She opened her fingers and look at her palm. That was her luck or to be accurate the absence of it, but they were just enough for what she needed.

She looked around examining her surroundings. Thank god for the pay phones she thought. She picked the earphone and dialed her friend's number.

"Hello?"

"Hi, it's me."

"Hey girl, where have you been? I was calling you this morning and you weren't answering. I was worried about you."

"Listen I… I…" Felicity was a little restrained about telling her the truth but she decided she had to reveal some things to her friend, not everything, just some basic facts to convince her to help with her plan. "I was at the hospital…"

A gasp that was the only thing that was heard from the other side of the phone line. And then followed the usual worried rabbling she initially wanted to prevent without telling her much.

"What happened? Are you in the hospital? Oh my God… what happened girl? When are the visiting hours? Do you want me to come? Do you prefer to call your mom? Oh… Have you already called your mom or should I call her? You know how afraid I'm of her when she is pissed. And that is pissing worthy material. You know I love your mother but…"

"CHILL!" Felicity screamed to get her attention and make her stop.

"I'm ok." she added in a lower reassuring tone.

"I've already checked myself out. No need to come over. And definitely no need to involve in any way my mother. So…" she paused for a moment. She made sure she chose the right words to continue, she couldn't risk another round of questions and she to be honest she hadn't the time for that either.

"…It's complicated. I don't have time to explain to you right now, but long story short. I'm in trouble and I need a favor."

"Are you in trouble? You? The righteous Fel? Ok you have me from that statement. I'm so proud of myself at the moment, that I've finally managed, after all this years, to corrupt the little innocent Felicity, and transformed her into a troublemaker, that I could do anything, just name it." Her panic flood washed away any concerns and now only shells and the usual dork was left at the shore of her uncomprehend and disturbed if not disturbing mind.

"Ok, overlooking your usual nonsenses, listen what I want you to do for me."

... ... ...

A car slow down and parked outside of her building. A girl stepped out but she wasn't her. She was brunet, equally young with Felicity, probably one of her friends. She stepped in the building and opened with a key herself. Less than a minute passed before the lights of the third floor apartment were switched on. A few moments passed and the dark took over the place again. After a while she came out with a gym bag.

"Follow that car. And don't miss it." He ordered the driver and pointed to the car that was getting off.

"Yes… yes… sir." the man agreed and start the engine in such a devotion like he had the most important mission in the world.

"Cheating girlfriend…?" he asked childishly and his grin was so wide that exposed his teeth.

"No, Nothing personal… Just follow her." Oliver was still angry with the whole mess and so unamused.

The girl parked outside of what he figured it was her place. She turned off the engine and stepped out of the car. She headed to the trunk of her car opened it, grabbed the bag she had put in earlier and get inside the building. He stood there all night till the early hours of the next morning rise but nothing. The one he was waiting never showed.

"Thanks for the ride, man." Oliver said while exiting the car and put his hand on his pocket to reach for some money.

"The ride is on me." The man insisted gesturing with his hand tapping on his own chest.

Oliver lifted his hand behind his hood then and get an arrow from his quiver. He leaned inside the car and left it to the passenger seat through the opened window.

"This is for your little man, give it to him when he'll get old enough, and tell him it's a gift because his dad was my only sidekick till this day."

… … …

And Felicity's plan has worked. For the first time since this whole mess occurred she was a step in front of him. While he was following "the wrong girl", blindfolded from his seek for vengeance, she had returned at her apartment. She got back and gathered whatever she thought she would needed. Her phone, her laptop, her personal stuff and any cash she had stored in the apartment. She even get her credit card and emptied it at the nearest atm, after she reassured no one was tailing her. She was a hacker. She knew too well that someone would be able to track her down if she continued to use it. She was ready now. She could finally disappear.


	11. ESCAPING FROM REALITY

She was carrying only a backpack with her laptop, few personal belongings and one single change of clothes. She was so scared of him at the moment. She was afraid that he would have figured her bate out by now and that he would already be by her tracks.

The cab left her outside the central bus station. She payed cash for the ride. She was trying not to leave any trail behind her. Credit card would be easily traceable from a guy with his sources.

She stepped out of the cab, flood by a feeling that this was the last time she was facing the familiar skyline of Central City, her hometown, the city she had lived in her entire life. She turned around and look to the direction of the dock. The night had coated the water with a dark cloak, pierced by countless stars that let the cosmic light hit the sparkly water. The moon, a fool moon white and pure like it was out of fairy tales was painting a white river above the sea. It felt so cozy like the city was protecting her residents. The water washing off and carrying away everything that was discarded as soon she would be too.

She watched all these people continuing their lives like nothing bad has happened. Like what had happened to her these past days wasn't matter and the fact the she was forced to abandon her previous life it wasn't unfair. She was realizing that this accusation were incongruous. But she was overwhelmed of the sight of her beloved city, her place, and her safe haven so much that her questionable logic was making perfect sense to her. She felt betrayed. Her city had failed her, hadn't invest any effort to keep her in her protective embrace like the rest of them.

Possibly this was the result of a copying mechanism. Her way to work through a loss that had come earlier that is was supposed to. Her mind falsified an elusive bitterness to smooth a goodbye that it was forced to be told. And that exactly what she did. She stood there proudly, straightened her spine and flatten her heart and turned around. She started heading to the station, and as what it seemed she was just waving her hand a farewell to her present location mentally she was making the deepest curtsey at her former home.

She reached the registry and looked the info dashboard. Destinations and arrivals were succeeded one the other and delayed or in time were flashing beside them. She lost herself in the periodical light changes while the pending line was stepping forward one ticket a person. It was her turn. She shove her hand in her pocket and grab her wallet.

"One ticket please."

"Destination?" the cashier asked

Felicity looked above her head at the announcement's board once again, but she couldn't decide. There was no second best. No city was worthy or good enough. There wasn't any difference.

"For wherever is the next bus. How much?" the lady passed her a ticket beneath the glass and she returned to her the exact amount that was printed on it. "Thank you."

She lift her backpack from between her legs and hang it on her right shoulder just from the one grip.

She walked to the bus and waited there. The moments were passing painfully slow. It felt like centuries had passed instead of minutes and her face looked like that when she heard the departure announcement from the speakers. She was almost safe, at last.

It was almost six months before when Felicity arrived at this city. A fresh start, a second chance was all that she was seeking. And thankfully that was exactly what she got.

She had settled down quickly. The money she had brought with her, her savings from, what she used to refer at now, a previous life, was enough to cover her first expenses.

It didn't get her too much too fake her credential papers not to claim that she has abilities she didn't have but to hide her true identity. She hadn't gone too far and she thought it was sufficient enough just to paraphrase her name. Felicity became Joy and what better of hiding in public view Queen her last name. She wandered around that idea for a while and she ended up that he would never considered her brave of fool enough to have the nerve to do something bold as that. And Joy Queen was born.

One she saw an announcement at the newspaper that a local firm was looking for staff. The offered position was so below her but it was so closed to her house and so far from potential threats.

Her life was quiet as she wanted to be. Many people of the area were coming and going every day and it became easy to know most of them even if she avoid of getting too involved.

Almost from her first day there was a man, a tall dark guy, who was visiting the offices so frequently. He was always watching her from far but it got him over a month to talk to her. At first she hesitated. She hadn't time or energy for her own life as more for another person in it.

She was still afraid, afraid of him. She was always so tensed, so alert that every time the phone rang she was feeling like her heart was skipping a beat, and that was happening all day so many times during her shift. It became a habit for her to look behind her shoulder whenever she was walking, as if she was crossing alone a suspicious dark alley, even if she was in the middle of the daylight in crowded places. She was evaluate her surroundings and everyone in when she was stepping in another room. And she was so cautious and second guessing anything that she was hearing.

...


	12. NEW LIFE, NEW PROBLEMS

Almost from her first day there was a man, a tall dark guy, who was visiting the offices so frequently. He was always watching her from far but it got him over a month to talk to her. At first she hesitated. She hadn't time or energy for her own life as more for another person in it.

Giving in to his persistent efforts she agreed to hanging around with him. Just that, after all she couldn't continue living her life like that, at some point it would raise some questions, questions she had no intension to answer. At least that's how she rationalized it to herself.

And they had great time together. And that escalated in a more intimate relationship.

He was so different from her that almost anything that was coming out of his mouth sounded interesting at the beginning. He was not well-cultivated in an almost amusing way, he was so naïve about every single one of her interests. Their background differences were unbridgeable in a way that she was making real effort to have a conversation with him.

But he was a charmer. What he was missing in spirit he was balancing it in his ability to make her loose. The most important asset of him was that he was making feel safe too. He was a police officer, what safer than that. And that was what she was desperately needing. After all that time hiding in fear she was tired of the whole situation. She wanted to lean to someone else for once. And he became the shoulder for that. It was in his nature to be protective. It was his pride to take care of her.

The time was passing and everything was ok between them, until they hit an obstacle. Her contract came to an end and she has to change job. Unfortunately it was far from home and he had no reason to be there, hanging out with her in every one of his break. They distant a little, not because they intent to, but cause of the time restrictions. He was seeing her less and less and that made him feel insecure about their relationship. She had not given him any reason to, but he became jealous. His reactions were cute. He was always losing his self-control and after he made his best effort to make her forgive him. He was turning into a control freak but he never became physical. He never crossed that line. But he became her sweet abuse. Felicity – Joy now was always like a tomboy, the type of girl that was doing so well with everyone regardless of his gender and she had so many male friends. And that was driving him crazy. He was always negative with every suggestion she made for an exit and especially for the people they would accompanied them. Never her friends. In an opposite case a third degree interrogation was the aftermath of their exit. "Why this?" "Why that?"

The last month he was such an inconvenience. He was always negative. Like a dark whole that consumed her entire existence. She stopped feeling the security she was so used to, the reason she initially convinced her to give them a chance and she was seeking so desperately in her life. She was at the point she had started. Every day she was waking up she had that sense that she barely survived yesterday but it was already today. She was always been deprived of energy. Every task in her life became a struggle. He used to be a person quick to laugh and lately she has no reason to. She was moody all the time. She was out one night and she has such a fan time when she realized how sad that was it. His absence had become a necessary condition for her to be happy. she had reached the point of no return. She returned home that night and tried to explain the situation to him but he was not listening or she was pretending he didn't understand. He gathered her stuff and left.

A whole month had passed form that night when out of the blue he started sending her messages. He was asking her to accept him back but she was not responding to his messages. Then the calls started. The entire situation was getting out of control, it wasn't just an inconvenience, and she get the decision to answer his next call. And that was what she did. The next time the screen lighted and his name appeared she accepted the call. He begged her to meet him. Just for a talk. She felt she was owed him that much as she was the one that gave an end to their relationship.

They met at "their" coffee shop. It was a little place close to her previous workplace. It was the place they had their first date. They had that routine. She wasn't drinking any coffee so every day during his break he was passing from there and buy her a hot chocolate and a double three sugared no milk espresso for himself and bring them when he was paying her his daily visit at her office.

The night they met he seemed so friendly. He was not pushing her for anything. He had already ordered her her favorite and he has "his usual" "see? We were so good together. Even the girl that got my order today asked me about you. We ruined her routine" he joked.

"You know we can't be together." She answered with an almost apologetic tone in her voice.

"But why?"

"You know why. We have already discussed these."

"It wasn't a discussion, it was a monologue, don't attempt to patronize me." He noticed her surprise to his words. "Yes I know that word. You taught me that."

"But nothing we are good together don't you see? I feel better when I am with you. Why we can't be together?"

"Because I'm on the other hand not. I thought that it was mutual. We had an agreement."

"No we haven't. Please reconsider"

"I can't"

"Why is there anyone else?"

"Same old same old. Don't you prefer to remain friends?"

"No not if hell would froze. Tell me now or…"


	13. UNEXPECTED TRUCE

"No not if hell would froze. Tell me now or…"

"Your strategy of make me reconsider is very weird and allow me to add you have the exact opposite result. Look that would lead us to nowhere." She placed some money on the table "that's for the chocolate. No one owes anything to the other. Have a good night and a good life."

She stood up to leave when he said "but you won't I'll take care of that. I'm a police officer, remember? I'll find something to ruin your life." He threatened her while she was walking away.

She had made peace with the new circumstances, she thought she could continue her life. She had resettled at some normality in her life and now once again her whole world was going to get upside down without any real reason cause of the will of someone else. She didn't granted to anyone this power over her life. And she just couldn't last anymore. Her last drops of energy she had stored up this past month seemed to vanish into thin air the moment he stepped again into her life.

Three days of harassment and now this. His threat became distracting for her work, for her everyday life.

The days that followed were consuming her. Her constant alert was energy devouring and left her even questioning her sanity. She was feeling like someone was stalking her. Was it real or was she affected from his threat? Sometimes when she was walking she was feeling an unknown presence spying her. Then she turned around instantly to catch her alleged stalker in action but nothing. Sometimes she noticed a bike speeding off and getting lost into the city.

Bill has a black Yamaha.

She felt drained, numb, and unable to handle it at the moment. Her life became a route from home to work and back home for a whole week, without the tiniest deviation. She wasn't talking to anyone. She wasn't respond to her messages or mails. She hadn't caught up with any of her hobbies or updated anything in social media. Everyone seemed to notice something was wrong. Her mind was preoccupied. She stepped back from her life. She couldn't continue like this. She had to act. She was a geek her entire life. Bullying wasn't an original concept for her. She didn't tolerate it back then she wasn't going to now. She had to act.

But then one day when she was drifting between sleep and awaking she dreamed about something. It was blurry and undefined. She wasn't sure if it was a dream or a suppressed memory. She saw him. Arrow. Her face was leaning on his shoulder, she could only see his hood. She was sitting in front of him and she was between his legs on a bike. But she was dizzy and then these blinding lights. Was it real? Was that the time when he rushed her at the hospital? But the burning question was is it him now? Has he found her?

Her life had become an ouroboros. Making circles and ending up where she had initially began. Once again someone else was threatening her. And this time the threat was not physical as a chlorophormed napkin. This time was psychological. She couldn't be sure that he wasn't going to find out her true identity. She was standing on the tail and a wide open mouth was intimidatingly approaching ready to consume the place she was standing on. She was cornered in the dark edges of her existence with no room to step further and then it hit her. That was it. She mentally imagined herself stepping out of the shadows and stood in the middle of this self-destructing creature. The only light was penetrating into her life only between the cracks of her previous experiences, but that was enough. She leaned her head backwards and let this light warm her face. She opened her piercing blue eyes and her pupils almost lost by the contraction the blinding beam caused.

Same as with her vision she opened her eyes and faced herself at the mirror and as if her body was imitating her spirit she watched her pupils still tiny trying to adjust to the newly gained realization and felt the warmth at her face.

She took her phone and dialed the number.

"What do you want?"

"Mrs. Smoak?" Oliver couldn't believe his own ears. How could he forget that voice? The voice that haunted him for almost a year. A voice he imagined exposing him countless times.

"Not anymore. Not yet at least?"

"Why are you calling me?"

"I need to know."

"Know what?"

"You found me right? It is you."

Oliver had no clue what she was talking about, but once again, he decided to play along. After all this became their emo. He would figure out what the situation was and upper handed it on his behalf.

"You'll never know." That wasn't a lie. He didn't confirm or denied anything.

"This has to stop."

"Or else…?"

"I don't know… Really I…"

He sensed desperation and hurt in her voice. He felt guilty in exploiting the whole situation. She probably was in trouble.

"I have a preposition to you." he said

"I'm listening"

"Truce?"

"What you mean with that?"

"Truce between us. You promise you not to expose your true identity and I reassure you, I won't hurt you, you can return to your life and…"

"And…?"

"That's all."

Nothing but a sigh and then "Deal" that was all that she said and hung up the phone.

He couldn't believe his unbelievable luck. He was unable to trace her for almost a year and just like that he snapped his fingers she was back again. Serving herself in a plate. Eliminating the potential threat to him and giving him the opportunity to continue keeping an eye on her. And as for her real problem. That was wherever she was right now. If it follows her to his city then whoever is her real he had to deal with him. No one messes in his city.


	14. NOT ALL HEROES WEAR CAPES

And there she was at the station. At the exact same spot, where almost a year before, she had waved goodbye to her home. Everyone deserves a place to call home. And if she wants to be true to her heart central city was exactly that. Her home. Her safe haven. That feeling may have fainted cause of the uncertainty of a definitely fluid situation she deal back then but stepping back and taking her distance cleared the view for her. She realized that even then when she felt disappointed and that the city had failed her she never felt unwelcomed and that is what home is. Whatever the situation is and despite the circumstances it's yours.

The time she passed in another city was doomed to be temporary. As Ziad K. Abdelnour quoted: "Life is like a camera. Just focus on what's important and capture the good times develop from the negatives and if things don't work out just take another shot." And she was taking this shot now. New shot in front of well-known nostalgic background she had missed.

First thing she did was to call her friend Amaya. After all she was the one who took care of everything during her absence, her apartment and belongings and she was willing to be the decoy when she had orchestrated her getaway. She owed her. Amaya wasn't seeing it that way. "That is what friends are for Fel." She replied to her almost hurt. How she had doubt that she was more than glad to step in and backup her. She was so proud that she had corrupted the innocent little Fel and get her in such a mess when she dragged her at that color fest that triggered this domino effect.

Felicity crashed at her place for a couple of days and this whole roomie thing continued for almost a week. The only thing that changed was the location. She had to return to her apartment at some point but she was feeling so more in her comfort zone having someone with her. A week that was all she needed and that was all that took to return to her life.

She found her tempo, her pace. And everything was great, safe and normal. Oh how much she had missed some normality in her life. Almost a year living a double life, pretending to be someone else, was more than enough for her. She wanted to be free, she wanted to be herself.

The one thing disturbing her recently retrieved piece was that feeling, a presence that was spying her, the same feeling that pushed her to step up and make that call few days ago. She has to be him checking that I'm keeping my part of our deal, she thought.

It was late evening. The sky was getting dark shadows tend to disappear from any direction around her and she was enjoying that, not even her shadow was following her.

She turned at the corner and she bummed on someone. The last person she expected to meet was Bill.

"What are you…?"

"I promised you that wasn't the end, remember…?" he answered her sarcastically.

Cold sweat ran down her forehead and her hands started shaking. It wasn't that she was afraid of him, it was just that he caught her off guard. His visit was at least unexpected.

His eyes narrowed and she knew that she couldn't' postpone the inevitable any more. She had to give him a closure. Or he was determined to take one by force.

He grabbed her from her arm and tried to make her follow him. His hold was so tight, her skin was turning pale beneath his fingers.

And then she heard him.

"Let the lady go." His modulated voice echoed in the ally.

"It's a private conversation. Don't interfere." Bill focused almost blindfolded to her didn't even turn to face him.

"I'm afraid I have to insist."

"What is that you don't get?" Bill said and it was then that he turned to face the unknown guy that was getting in his feet.

"And who are you…" he looked at Oliver who was in his arrow suit and laughed "… you clown?"

"He is green…" Felicity tried to make the introduction but he cut her.

"Green or whatever… I'm blue." He said pulling his jacket a little to point his badge. "So… get lost." He added and pulled it from his belt showing it off in front of Oliver's face

Oliver had already heard enough. "I'm the law in this city." He said stepping towards him and grabbing his hand with such a force that made him dropped it to the ground and lose his hold on Felicity at the same time.

Bill was shocked. No one had disrespect his authority before. He wasn't brave or bald. He was a weak insecure man covered behind the fictitious power of his position. It took him a moment to react and then he stormed to the direction of Oliver.

He tried to punch him but he missed. And then he tried again. Oliver grabbed his fist and squeeze it forcing him to kneel before him.

"Now you ow an apology."

"Sorry." His words taste like venom in his mouth.

"Not to me. To her."

"never." He said and tackle Oliver down.

He fought back. His moves giving out his emotions. He was furious, like a wounded animal. It wasn't his hand's pain driving him. He was deeply hurt just not physically, his ego was burning him, choking him from inside out. But Oliver was better. He didn't push it too far. He wasn't there to deal with him. He was there for her.

And it was then when she stepped in and kick Bill who was laying on the ground, it wasn't like her to hurt someone when he was at his lowest but this particular person deserved it. And proved her right. He may be wasn't worthy enough to beat Oliver but he grabbed her leg and twisted to make her fall.

Oliver instantly stepped between them pulling her away from him. He was so urged to protect her that pulled her so hard that she ends up to his embrace.

Bill in the meantime seize the opportunity to get his badge from the ground and get the hell out of there.

Felicity couldn't believe what had just happened. He from all the people was the one who saved her. And he was there in his arms. So closed to him. Feeling his heart hammering in his chest. His warmth radiating from his body. So closed to him. One more time. It was their accident that start everything and then one more time. She knew by then. She had remembered him riding her to the hospital. Her face over his shoulder. The feeling of his leather hood on her cheek. But this time it was different. She was facing him. Or whatever was distinguish at least. He seemed more covered now. His hood drop a shadow over his eyes that were already been covered from his mask. But the rest of his face was hidden too. Hidden behind a light colored beard. Without even noticing what she was doing she approached even more to look him closer. And then unable to restrain herself she kissed him.

He felt surprised at the beginning but he didn't think it further either. A moment after he pulled himself together and away from her. his beard tickled her now redden skin and she snapped open her eyes when she heard his "Enough" The one thing she didn't knew was that he was trying to prevail upon his urges, he was demanding himself to stop and not her.

"Ok… next time hung upside from your web, it will be fun to try." She was just being herself as always

"You are funny Miss Smoak." He said and disappearing behind the turn he rode his bike and he got lost in the night.

"I knew it." she said to herself when she heard the roar of the bike's engine confirming that the picture of him rushing her at the hospital on a bike was a memory and not a dream.

"And there will be a next time." She promised herself.

THE END


End file.
